• Article Photo. Denise Evans and Jess Albertson watch as Dr. Gene Laviere gets soaked by Lori Smith.
    Denise Evans and Jess Albertson watch as Dr. Gene Laviere gets soaked by Lori Smith.
  • Article Photo. Ice Bucket Challenge: Kristi Elwick,RN, douses Maria Davis of the VGH Imaging Services Dept.
    Ice Bucket Challenge: Kristi Elwick,RN, douses Maria Davis of the VGH Imaging Services Dept.
  • Article Photo. Mike Riege dumps the last pitcher on the head of Mike Reifenstahl.
    Mike Riege dumps the last pitcher on the head of Mike Reifenstahl.
  • Article Photo. Three Mikes: Reifenstahl, Riege and Timmermans, had an extra Ice Bucket Challenge surprise at VGH.
    Three Mikes: Reifenstahl, Riege and Timmermans, had an extra Ice Bucket Challenge surprise at VGH.
  • Article Photo. VGH Ice Bucket Challenge: Cyndi Stueck disappears under a pitcher of water dumped by Maria Davis.
    VGH Ice Bucket Challenge: Cyndi Stueck disappears under a pitcher of water dumped by Maria Davis.

Vinton's Virginia Gay Hospital became the third local health care organization to have employees participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge for the ALS Society on Tuesday afternoon.

Accepting the challenge from the Vinton Lutheran Home Assisted Living staff, 45 VGH employees from several departments formed a half-circle around the fountain in front of the main entrance. They then took turns, Domino style, dumping water on the person to their right. Finally, the last three participants Mikes Timmermans, Riege and Reifenstahl, received a special surprise -- three large buckets were hidden under the bench behind them and all three received an extra couple of gallons of icy water.

Riege passed on the challenge to the local Fareway employees (all departments of the grocery store) as well as to the CEOs of hospitals in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. 

Participants dump water on their heads while announcing their donation to the organization formed to help fight and find a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease, and then use Facebook to challenge others.. So far the viral fund-raiser has brought in nearly $70 million for the ALS Association. 

See more photos HERE.

See a video of the Challenge HERE.